Alcides Ghiggia discusses what it was like scoring the winning goal in the 1950 World Cup final for Uruguay

By Georges Sessions 2014-05-20 15:28:00 20140520

Ghiggia with the World Cup - Action Images

Alcides Ghiggia scored one of the most pivatol goals in Brazilian history in 1950 but unfortunately for Seleção fans it was for Uruguay and in fact against Brazil.

Ghiggia scored the winning goal in the 1950 World Cup final, the last time Brazil hosted the biggest international tournament, and he has been recalling the experience to BBC Sport.

Now 87-years-old, the former Roma winger said on that historical match: “There was complete silence. The crowd was frozen still. It was like they weren’t even breathing.

“They couldn’t even raise their voices to cheer on Brazil. That was when I realised they weren’t going to do it and that we’d won.”

The former Uruguay international is the only surviving member of the 1950 World Cup winning team and has told of the moment he scored the winning goal during the 2-1 success over Brazil in Rio de Janeiro.

Ghiggia explained: "I took the ball on the right. I dribbled past Bigode [the Brazilian left-back] and entered the box.

“The goalkeeper [Moacyr Barbosa] thought I was going to cross it, like with the first goal, so he left a gap between himself and the near post. I just had a second so I shot low between the keeper and the post."